Key-opening can



1,689,627 C. W. GRAHAM KEY OPENING CAN Oct. 30, 1928.

Filed se t. 11, 1925 Patented a. 30, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE:

cnmns w. exam; or snn rmncrsco, eamronnm, Assrenon 'ro AMERICAN can OOMPANY,'OF san rnencrsco, cnrronman CORIEORATION, or NEW mnsnr.

KEY-OPENING- CAN.

Application filed September 1]., 1928. SerialNo. 862,062.

." The hereinafter described invention is aplicable for use in connection with hermeticaly sealed cans or metallic containers generally and this irrespective as-to the shape of'the 5 said container and the same is designed'so to speak to make the opening key for the container of a permanent or fixed union so I far as relatesto the removable tearing strip tobe'severed for an opening of the container for removal of the contents therefrom. Ordi- 1 narily, in connection with commodities sealed within a key opened container, the key is furnished as a separate element from the container and adapted to be applied with respect to a detached extension of the tearing stri which detached section usually artakes of t e nature of a tongue extension 0 the said stri or section to be removed for the opening f the container. If, for any reason, the key becomes lost, difliculty is experienced in the opening of a can or container and in case the tongue extension should be torn accidentally from the tearing strip section, the key. is useless for the opening of the container. The object of the present invention is to overcome the mentioned 'objection and which-object is attained by making the openingkey a permanent portion of the. tearing strip, while maintaining said strip an integral portion of the closing wall of the container structure, so that the free projecting tongue usually associated with the tearing SbI'iP'lS eliminated and the opening key at all times held in a fixed or-- attached position relative to the said tearing strip.- Underthis construction it is impossible for the opening key to become lost, each container carrying its own opening key in perma, nent association with a non-separated portion of the tearing strip.

For an understanding of the invention reference should be had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein.

Fi 1 is ato plan-view disclosing a cover applled to a cylmdrical container with my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2is a similar view illustrating the o emng key thereon in extended position for' t e removal of the tearing strip of the cover.

Fig. 3 is a similar view illustratin the key with the tearing strip partly remove thereby from the cover. 1 i

Fi 4; is a broken sectional viewtaken on the kne l-4, Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating the invention as applied to the cover of a sardine can.

In the drawings, Figs. 1, 2 and 3 thereof, the numeral 1 is used to designate the cover applied to .a cylindrical container, the said cover being of the depressed panel type usually employed in connection-with the hermetic sealing of cans. Extending circumferential- .ly of the cover is a tearing strip 2, which is set off by the scored lines 3 and 4 and said tear-' ing strip is provided intermediate the scored lines 3, 4 with herringbone scores as indicated at'5, whereby a tear running inwardly from said boundary or scored lines 3 and 4 will be directed back thereto and severing or breakage. of the tear strip during the separation thereof from the remaining wall of the cover is prevented. In the'present case, the tearing strip as thus outlined at a suitable point terminates in an inwardly extended tear section 6 formed or set off by scored lines 8 and 9 and which section to all intents and purposes maybe considered or treated as a ton e ex-- tension formed integral with the body metal of thecover 1, it being at no time detached or disassociated with the body metal until ruptured-or torn therefrom by the action of the opening key when thrown into position for a severing of the tearing strip from the cover on the lines of its scored section. In a the present case the integral tongue section 6 5 of t e tear strip is formed mainly within the depressed panel section A of the cover 1 and in said section of the cover there is formed a depression 11 conforming in outline to the shape of the opening key 12, so that when the said-key is positioned relative to the cover 1 of thecontainer the same will lie within the depression or seat 11 and fall so to speak flush with the surface of the surrounding metal of the depressed panel portion A of the cover 1. As the key 12 is spot-welded to the upper face of the scored tongue section 6 of the tearing strip and therefore .is non-separable therefrom, it is always maintained in properposition relative to. the can cover so as not to inter- 10o fere with the packaging of the filled containers for shipment and equally so, not to interfere with the packaging of the ends or When it is desired to open the sealed container for the removal of the contents therefrom, the opening key 12 is raised from within its seat 11 and thrown outwardly to stand a loosely extended tongue of a tearing strip.

With the key thus positioned-and the scored tongue section 6 separated by rupture from the surrounding metal of the cover, it is only required to turn the key over along the edge of the sealed container to gradually separate the scoredtearing strip circumferentially of the can cover, as indicated by Fig. 3 of the drawings.

ByrFig. 5 of the drawings the key 12 1s illustrated as spot-welded to a scored tongue extensionl3 integral with the scored section of a cover to be opened and integral with the metal wallof a can cover 14 usually employed in connection with the hermetic sealmg of sardine cans. In this case, the section of the cover to be removed is that portion of the cover within an area bounded by the score;

lines 15 and 16, or in other words, a section of somewhat extended area is the tear portion of the cover to be removed for an opening of the container. As in the case with the disclosure of Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive of the drawings, the

throwing of the key 12 over to stand or project outwardlyl from the sealed container tears or separates t e tongue 13 from the surround ing metal of the cover 14 and as a turning action is applied to the keyv when thus extended the metal of the cover within the boundar of the score lines 15' 16 is rupture or torn apart from the surrounding fiietal of the cover y a turning action of the It will be notedfrom the foregoing that the opening key 12 to all intents and purposes constitutes a permanent element'of the tear strip when applied to the can cover, inasmuch as it is spot-welded thereto and is therefore non-detachable therefrom andincapable of separation, as is the case of the openmg keys supplied for use in connection with the opening of sealed containers having a tear strip associated therewith. While the opening ,key

. is illustrated and has been described in association with a cover provided with a tearing 1 strip, it is obvious that the tearin strip may the body.

be formed circumferentially 0 structure ofa container and in such case the opening key bespot-weldedto a section 0 the tearing strip to be removed and while I have illustrated the tearing stri as having associated therewith an inwar y extended scored portion serving to constitute a weak- C ened tongue constituting an inte ral unbroken portion of the body metal of t ecover, it is apparent that the said tongue extended portion may be dispensed with, if so desired, and the opening key spot-welded at a point relative to the tearing strip intermediate the scored lines 3 and 4 of Figs. 1, 2, 3 and the scored lines 15 and 16 of Fig.5 ofthe drawings. However, preference is given to extended inwardly from the. tearing strip a scored tongue formed integral with the surrounding body of the cover and integral with the tear section to be removed and constituting a continuation thereof.

While I have illustrated a referred embodiment of the invention I 0 notwish to d be understood as limiting the invention to such detailed construction, but wish to' be understood as claiming as broadly as .the state of the art w'illi'warrant the permanent attachment of 'an opening key to the tearing stri or section of a cover to be removed and the without continuing or extending from the tear strip 5. section non-integral withthe remainder of the metal constituting the cover or a body of the container.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to be protected by Letters Patent,is: t

1. Acover for the hermetic sealing of metallic containers provided witha removable tear section situated within an area of the coverbounded by scored lines formed in the 4 metal thereof and terminatingin an inwardly extended tongue section which lies within an area bounded by scored lines in the metal and an opening key permanently united to the tongue extension section of the tear strip.

2. A hermetically sealed container provided with a tearing section situated within an area bounded by scored lines formed in themetal thereof and which terminates in an inwardly extended ton e section which lies within. an area boundefby scored lines in the metal, and an opening ke permanently united to the tongue section 0 the tear strip. I

3. In a hermetically sealed tearing strip container, a scored portion to be torn away and a key permanently welded to a starting section of said scored portion, said key being adapted to be lifted tion to tearing position thereby severing said starting section from the unscored portion of said container.

ominoperative posi- 4. The combination of a can body, and I secured thereon having an imperforate tearing strip arranged near the margin of the top and set ofi by scored lines, and a key welded to said im erforate strip at a point between two of sai scored lines and lying on the can top between and substantially parallel with the lastmentioned scored-lines, so that the lifting of the key will'tear said parallel lines. 5. sanitary can top having a flange for double seaming to a can body, an imperforate tearing strip set ofl by scored lines and extending on said top near said flange, said tearing strip having an inward extension, 5 and a key fixedly attached to said extension, and arranged on the top, so that when the key is lifted and turned the other side up to extend out beyond the margin of the top it will thereby tear out said extension and be in position to be rotated and wind up the re- 10 mainder of said tearing strip.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES W. GRAHAM. 

